Found a roach in your kitchen last night? Saw one scurry under the fridge when you turned on the lights? Here’s the hard truth: if you’re seeing roaches during the day, you’ve got a serious problem. For every roach you spot, there are dozens—maybe hundreds—hiding in your walls, cabinets, and appliances.
We’re Bugsy’s Pest Solutions, and we’ve been eliminating cockroach infestations across Palm Beach and Broward Counties since our founding by Marine Corps veteran Zach Bernstein. We don’t just spray and hope. We find where they’re breeding, cut off their food and water, and make sure they don’t come back.
Call 561-654-8998 or schedule your free inspection today. We’ll figure out exactly what you’re dealing with and give you a clear plan to fix it.
Why Florida Is Roach Paradise (And Why That Matters)
Let’s talk about why South Florida has such a massive roach problem. It’s not because people here are dirtier or less careful—it’s the climate.
No cold season– Up north, winter kills off most pest populations. Here? Roaches breed year-round. There’s no natural die-off, which means infestations can explode fast.
High humidity– Florida’s 75%+ humidity is exactly what roaches need to thrive. They love moisture, and we’ve got it everywhere—in walls, under sinks, in attics.
Warm temperatures– Roaches reproduce faster in warm conditions. A single German cockroach can produce 300+ offspring in a year. In Florida’s warmth, that timeline speeds up.
Older homes– Lots of properties in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach were built in the ’70s and ’80s. Settling foundations, cracked stucco, gaps around pipes—every opening is an invitation.
Dense landscaping– Mulch beds, thick shrubs, palm trees, and irrigation systems create perfect outdoor harborage. Roaches live outside, then wander in when conditions get too wet or dry.
Bottom line: if you live in South Florida, you’re always at risk for cockroach problems. That’s why professional roach control isn’t optional—it’s essential.
The Roaches We Deal With Most
Not all cockroaches are the same. Each species behaves differently, hides in different places, and needs a different treatment approach.
German Cockroaches
These are the worst. German roaches are small (about half an inch), light brown with two dark stripes behind their heads, and they live their entire lives indoors. They don’t come in from outside—once they’re in, they set up shop and breed like crazy.
If you see German roaches during the day, your infestation is severe. They hide in kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, and cabinets. A single female can produce 30-40 eggs at a time, and those nymphs reach maturity in weeks.
German cockroaches contaminate food, spread bacteria, and trigger allergies and asthma. This is the species that requires immediate professional intervention. Learn more about our cockroach pest control services.
American Cockroaches (Palmetto Bugs)
These are the big ones—up to 2 inches long, reddish-brown, and yes, they can fly. Floridians call them “palmetto bugs” or “water bugs,” but they’re cockroaches.
American roaches live outside in mulch, storm drains, trees, and sewer systems. They wander indoors looking for food, water, or shelter. One or two isn’t a crisis, but if you’re seeing them regularly, you’ve got conducive conditions they’re attracted to.
Oriental Cockroaches (Water Bugs)
These dark brown or black roaches are about an inch long and prefer cool, damp areas. You’ll find them in basements, crawl spaces, drains, and around plumbing. They move slower than other species but they’re just as persistent.
If you’ve got moisture issues—leaking pipes, poor drainage, high humidity—Oriental roaches will find you.
Australian Cockroaches
Similar to American roaches but with yellow markings on the thorax, Australian cockroaches thrive in Florida’s tropical climate. They prefer to live outdoors in landscaping, greenhouses, and compost areas, but they’ll come inside during extreme weather.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches
These smaller roaches (about half an inch) have light brown bands across their wings. Unlike other species, they don’t need much moisture, so they spread throughout homes—living rooms, bedrooms, even inside electronics and furniture.
Brown-banded roaches are harder to detect because they don’t stick to kitchens and bathrooms. They could be anywhere.
Why Roaches Are More Than Just Gross
Yeah, roaches are disgusting. But they’re also dangerous. Here’s what you’re really dealing with:
Disease and Bacteria
Cockroaches carry at least 33 types of bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. They pick up these pathogens crawling through trash, sewers, and dead animals, then track them across your countertops, dishes, and food.
Every surface they touch becomes contaminated.
Allergies and Asthma
Roach droppings, shed skins, and saliva contain proteins that trigger severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Studies show that cockroach allergens are one of the most potent indoor triggers, especially for kids.
And here’s the thing—those allergens stick around for months after the infestation is gone. You need professional treatment to eliminate both the roaches and the contamination they leave behind.
Food Contamination
Roaches contaminate way more food than they eat. They defecate on surfaces, regurgitate while feeding, and transfer bacteria everywhere they go. If they’ve been in your pantry or kitchen, you need to assume everything’s compromised.
Property Damage
Roaches chew through paper, cardboard, fabric, and even electrical wiring. They stain surfaces with their droppings and create persistent odors that are hard to eliminate. All of this reduces your property value and makes your home less safe.
Our Cockroach Elimination Process
We’ve refined this approach over years of treating South Florida’s toughest infestations. Here’s exactly what we do:
1. Complete Property Inspection
We inspect every part of your property—inside and out. We’re looking for live roaches, droppings, egg cases, shed skins, and the conditions attracting them. We check under appliances, inside cabinets, in crawl spaces, attics, and around the exterior perimeter.
This inspection tells us what species you’re dealing with, how severe the infestation is, and where they’re breeding.
2. Custom Treatment Plan
Based on what we found, we build a treatment plan specific to your situation. Different roach species need different approaches. We target their hiding spots, breeding areas, and travel pathways using professional-grade products that actually work.
3. Strategic Treatment Application
We use a combination of methods:
Baiting Systems– Professional cockroach baits eliminate entire colonies, including roaches you’ll never see. We place baits in strategic locations where roaches feed and travel.
Crack and Crevice Treatments– We treat inside walls, under appliances, and other harborage areas where sprays can’t reach.
Residual Barriers– Long-lasting treatments around your perimeter and entry points prevent new roaches from getting in.
Growth Regulators– These disrupt the roach life cycle, preventing nymphs from maturing and reproducing.
4. Exclusion and Prevention
Killing what’s there isn’t enough—we need to keep new roaches out. We identify entry points, moisture issues, and sanitation problems that attract roaches. We’ll recommend sealing gaps, fixing leaks, and making other changes that eliminate conducive conditions.
5. Monitoring and Follow-Up
We place monitoring stations to track activity and schedule follow-up visits to make sure the problem’s solved. If roaches come back between treatments, so do we—at no extra charge.
6. Ongoing Protection
Roach control isn’t one-and-done in Florida. Our residential pest control packages provide ongoing protection with quarterly or monthly treatments, depending on your property’s needs.
Warning Signs You’ve Got a Roach Problem
Call us immediately if you’re seeing:
- Live roaches, especially during the day (severe infestation indicator)
- Roach droppings that look like coffee grounds or black pepper
- Egg cases (brown, oval-shaped capsules) behind appliances or in corners
- Shed skins in cabinets, drawers, or under sinks
- Musty, oily odors in kitchens or bathrooms
- Smear marks along baseboards or walls
- Dead roaches in corners or behind furniture
- Chewed paper products or cardboard
The sooner you call, the easier and cheaper it is to fix.
Why DIY Roach Control Doesn’t Work
We see this all the time—someone spends weeks or months trying store-bought sprays and baits before finally calling us. Here’s why DIY fails:
Limited Effectiveness– Consumer products kill what you see but don’t touch hidden populations. The roaches just scatter and re-establish somewhere else.
Wrong Application– Even if the product works, most people don’t know where to apply it. Roaches hide in places you can’t see or reach without professional equipment.
Wrong Product for the Species– German roaches need different treatment than American roaches. Using the wrong approach wastes time and money.
Safety Risks– Improper pesticide use can contaminate your home and expose your family to toxic chemicals.
No Long-Term Prevention– Killing roaches doesn’t fix the conditions that attracted them. Without exclusion and prevention, they just come back.
Professional cockroach control targets the root cause, eliminates the entire population, and prevents re-infestation. It’s faster, safer, and actually works.
How to Keep Roaches Away
Once we’ve eliminated your infestation, these habits help keep them gone:
- Store all food in sealed containers, including pet food
- Clean up spills and crumbs immediately
- Take trash out daily and keep bins sealed
- Fix leaking pipes, faucets, and drains
- Don’t leave dirty dishes sitting out overnight
- Vacuum regularly, especially in kitchens
- Keep counters and floors clean and dry
- Seal cracks around pipes, windows, and doors
- Reduce clutter in storage areas
- Keep mulch away from your foundation
And if you’re dealing with other pests too (ants, spiders, rodents), check out our complete residential pest control services.
Commercial Roach Control Services
Roaches in a business are a disaster. One sighting can tank your reputation, fail a health inspection, or shut you down temporarily. We provide specialized commercial pest control for:
Restaurants and Food Service– Health code compliance, discreet treatments, emergency response
Hotels and Hospitality– Guest satisfaction protection, comprehensive room and common area treatments
Healthcare Facilities– Infection control protocols, non-toxic options for sensitive environments
Multi-Family Housing– Unit-by-unit treatments, tenant coordination, common area protection
Retail and Offices– Reputation management, flexible scheduling, ongoing monitoring
We understand what’s at stake for your business. See our full commercial pest control services.
Service Areas Across South Florida
We provide professional roach exterminator services throughout:
Palm Beach County
Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Greenacres
Broward County
Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood, Plantation, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Sunrise
St. Lucie County
Port St. Lucie
No matter where you’re located, we’ll get there fast and handle your roach problem professionally. View our complete service area coverage.
Our Protection Plans
Don’t just eliminate roaches—protect your home from all common Florida pests with our comprehensive plans:
Diamond Package– Quarterly treatments, unlimited callbacks, coverage for 15+ pests
Platinum Package– Bi-monthly treatments, priority scheduling, 12+ pest species
Gold Package– Essential quarterly protection with guaranteed results
Gold Plus– Monthly service for properties with persistent pressure
Compare all available packages and find what works for your home.
Other Pests We Handle
Roach problems often come with other pest issues. We also eliminate:
- Ants– Fire ants, carpenter ants, ghost ants
- Spiders– Black widows, wolf spiders, common house spiders
- Termites– Subterranean and drywood species
- Bed Bugs– Complete heat and chemical treatments
- Fleas– Pet-safe indoor and outdoor treatments
- Mosquitoes– Seasonal reduction and breeding prevention
- Rodents– Rats and mice exclusion and removal
Why People Choose Bugsy’s
We’re Local– We know South Florida pests and exactly how to eliminate them.
Veteran-Owned– Founded by Marine Corps veteran Zach Bernstein, we bring military discipline and accountability to every job.
Licensed & Trained– Every technician is fully certified and knows what they’re doing.
Safe Products– Tough on roaches, safe for your family and pets.
Guaranteed Results– If roaches come back between treatments, so do we at no charge.
Learn more about our story.
Get Roach-Free Today
Don’t let cockroaches take over your home or business. Every day you wait, the population grows and the problem gets worse.
Call 561-654-8998 or schedule online for your free inspection.
We’ll assess your property, explain exactly what you’re dealing with, and give you a clear plan with upfront pricing. No pressure, no surprises—just honest service and real results.
Let’s get your property back to being pest-free.
